Author: Eric R. Mountford
Publisher: Roundhouse Books
ISBN: Unknown
Price: S/H copies available from about £10-£20 depending on condition
Publication: 1965
Number of pages: 132
Format: Hardback
How Obtained: Purchased
Caerphilly railway repair works was held in such high regard that it was nicknamed The Welsh Swindon. Built by the Rhymney Railway, it undertook almost all engine work except for one – the construction of new locomotives.
The story of the facility is the subject of Caerphilly Works by Eric R. Mountford. It was published by Roundhouse Books in 1965, soon after the works closed. The book has been out of print for a considerable while but is still readily available at affordable prices. This qualifies it for our ‘retro review’ series.
Caerphilly Works: The Welsh Swindon
Similar to other Mountford books (see our review of The Cardiff Railway), it is structured very simply in three large sections in chronological order. The division is dictated by changing ownership, starting with the construction and early operation by the Rhymney Railway. Section two deals with post-grouping GWR stewardship which witnessed significant expansion. Predictably, the final section covers the British Railways years until closure in 1964. A fine selection of black and white photographs focuses mainly on the locomotives themselves.
Caerphilly earned the epithet The Welsh Swindon during the GWR era, but it was not used locally, where it was simply known as The Works. In fact, direct comparison with Swindon was misleading since no new locomotives were constructed at Caerphilly. Such was, however, the ambition of Rhymney Railway Locomotive Superintendent Carlton Hurry Riches. His plan was to move away from solely purchasing commercial manufacturer engines and start in-house construction. But the 1922 grouping dashed the project.
Nevertheless, high quality maintenance work led to the GWR allocating a rare excellent label to Caerphilly. This helped it become the primary locomotive repair depot in South Wales. The result was significant investment and expansion. Aside from locomotive repair work, classified as Heavy, Light or Running, Caerphilly carried out the construction, maintenance and modification of carriages and wagons. 1000lb bomb cases were machined at the works during World War 2!
Comprehensive detail on locomotive repairs……but short on human interest
Mountford clearly has a grip on the detail, meticulously presenting records of locomotive repairs which extends to actually noting when individual engines entered and left the works. It lacks balance, however, which would have resulted from including more human stories about life at the works. Sure, we get dates of when senior staff commenced work or retired, but there are few anecdotes or personal testimony which would give an impression of what a working day was like. This is slightly surprising as Mountford worked at the site, but only contributes a few stories.
There is no index in the usual sense. Instead the book finishes with a list of when locomotives, characters or infrastructure first appear in the text. As such it acts as a valuable timeline for the Works, but is of limited value as a roadmap for the book itself.
In Summary
An impressive record of the work carried out at Caerphilly works over 60 years of operation. Although meticulously presented, you get sadly little impression of what working life was actually like at the factory. Locomotive history aficionados and researchers would get most out of this book
The Good
- Extensive record of the locomotive work carried out at Caerphilly
- Good insight into the mode of operations of the works
- Covers the full history of the works
The Not So Good
- The book could be structured better with separate sections for locomotives, staff, building developments etc
- The writing is often pedestrian showing little flair
- Strange unorthodox index which is in fact a timeline of events
Outline Contents
- Construction of Works and Rhymney Railway period
- Great Western Railway period, 1922-1947
- British Railways (Western Region) period, 1948-1963
About the Author
Eric Mountford was born in Swindon to a railway family that stretched back well into the broad gauge era. After witnessing the birth of the Castle and King class locomotives, and the death of that brilliant locomotive engineer, G.J. Churchward, he served his apprenticeship at the famous locomotive works in the heyday of Great Western steam.
After completing his apprenticeship at Newport Docks Drawing Office, he had a lengthy spell in private industry before returning to the railways at Caerphilly Drawing: Office in 1954. Nine years later he was promoted to the Management Staff at the Welsh Divisional Office at Cardiff, from where he retired in 1980.
Although a lifelong GWR enthusiast, he concentrated on the railways of South Wales from an early age, an interest he was able to develop when he had access to local railway records and those held by British Transport. An acknowledged expert on these railways, Mountford has written numerous books and articles.
(From: The Oakwood Press)
Related reviews
The Rhymney Railway by R.W. Kidner
South Wales Branch Lines by H. Morgan
The Rhymney Railway: Volume1, The Main Line From Cardiff by John Hutton